The Code - General Discussion

[HurricaneVal]

OK.  I could really care less about the side plot with the widow and the ongoing lawsuit mess.   I like the side plot where he's taking care of his friend's widow and her family, that's all good.  The lawsuit part of it is just not compelling the way it keeps coming up: "oh, here's some more stuff from my lawyer for you to look at."

The case of the week was really well done.  The writers on this show are indeed pulling together some very interesting plots there.  Well done.  Also well done on how they've shown how Rami can be the annoying, uptight office whip, but really everyone loves him. 

Was anyone else terrified of Dana Delaney when she was threatening that corporate fat cat?  I swear if I were sitting there, I may have peed my pants when she growled that she's "ordered better men to their deaths".  ::shudder::

[Lonesome Rhodes]

3 hours ago, rhys said:

Anyway, is that how transfers work? A superior officer gets in a snit, then sends you to Timbuktu?

It certainly can, and does.  However, this deal extends well beyond one person.  Rami made a public and political move that reflected against the Corps itself.  Under no circumstance can the Corps afford such an attitude to go unpunished.  Colonel Turnbull herself would be facing enormous pressure to get her people "right."  A crack down would be the order of the day. 

A female General had just been forced to resign.  Turnbull then went waaaaay out of bounds to go after the CEO of the mining company, with whom the Pentagon had fashioned a workable compromise (one of many in Afghanistan and elsewhere).  Great timing, Colonel.  Her unit is known for a lack of military bearing and exhibits poor discipline.  Yup.  She would be on the hottest of hot seats.  

[rhys]

1 hour ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

It certainly can, and does.  However, this deal extends well beyond one person.  Rami made a public and political move that reflected against the Corps itself.  Under no circumstance can the Corps afford such an attitude to go unpunished.  

But what about the corps (or at least the military or the USA or someone) who lied to the Korean family to get what it wants? "Hey, come be our translator, be in the military & we will give you & your family citizenship. OOps, nevermind, bye." What Rami did took stones--maybe he should have called the local press or USA Today, but what the U.S. military did to the Korean family was unconscionable.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

8 minutes ago, rhys said:

But what about the corps (or at least the military or the USA or someone) who lied to the Korean family to get what it wants? "Hey, come be our translator, be in the military & we will give you & your family citizenship. OOps, nevermind, bye." What Rami did took stones--maybe he should have called the local press or USA Today, but what the U.S. military did to the Korean family was unconscionable.

I hate it, too.  However, once the Pentagon closes ranks, that's it.  They would most definitely do so here, just as we have seen.

As for the betrayal of the Koreans and others...I would honestly be surprised if this was something the Corps itself, or the Pentagon, wanted to do.  However, there has been outrageous pressures to cut back personnel costs in the past decade.  It's Congress who decides what America will pay, and who we will pay.  It is also true, imo, that any senior military who did not move to cover up and/or squelch criticisms that may ultimately embarrass the politicians, would need the help of God to continue career advancement. 

One of my all-time favorite movies is In Harms' Way.  In it, the John Wayne character is unfairly tarnished in the reprisals following Pearl Harbor.  After a couple of years, the Navy decided it needed leaders like him.  Henry Fonda, portraying a thinly-disguised Admiral Halsey (CINCPAC II), when he gave Wayne his personal Star as he announced Wayne's promotion, said ironically, and profoundly, "We all know the Navy is never wrong.   It's just that sometimes it takes it a while to get it right."  

[TV Anonymous]

So the Colonel was able to strong-arm a multi-national mining company even after a Major General and his staff could not? And in episode 3 she wrangled a Brigadier General to give her career up after she spoke casually to the said General? (Col Turnbull did call BGen Daley by her first name unprompted.) Who the hell is Col Turnbull?

So now 1stLt Turnbull is saved. Yay. But what about those SEALs? Their deaths are directly attributed to Col Turnbull's push. Their lives for her son's I suppose. I hope that it was not Bravo Team who did the rescue. 🙂

As for Rami - or rather, WO1 Ahmadi - IMO the officers did not give him the respect he deserves by calling him by his first name while he addresses them properly. 

[TV Anonymous]

Any Marine aboard this thread? I feel weird watching 1stLt Li with her Blue Dress Uniform. First, is there a new regulation that permits female Marine to wear the same type of coat as male? She wore the high-collar 'choker' coat instead the collar-and-lapel type of coat with white shirt and scarlet neck tab. Second, what was with the dark blue slacks? I thought dark blue trousers or slacks were reserved for General Officers?

As for the case, I do not really get it. Why did they decide to drop the charges? And that meant that the Lieutenant got away scot-free?

As for Col Turnbull and her son, can that be inferred that her son lost his leg due to her pigheadedness to have him rescued?

Lastly, even when addressing the office officially, Maj Ferry kept on referring WO1 Ahmadi by his first name only? SMH.

[Raja]

5 minutes ago, TV Anonymous said:

As for the case, I do not really get it. Why did they decide to drop the charges? And that meant that the Lieutenant got away scot-free?

The only thing that  can figure was politics. The Lieutenant was going to be awarded the Medal of Honor, do you understand my meaning Marine.

[blackwing]

I didn't really fully understand what the deal was with the entire plot... I kept getting distracted that the guy's name was Tarkanian, all I could keep thinking of was the late legendary UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian.

What was the conflict?  He deserted his squad and took pictures with some locals?  Why was he getting the Medal of Honor?  And he was still getting the Medal of Honor even though his actions in not being open and honest with the JAG corps seemed to indirectly result in the deaths of several Marines include peach farmer Yale Marine?

Whatever it was all about, I'm glad there was more character development for Harper Li.

[Raja]

5 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I didn't really fully understand what the deal was with the entire plot... I kept getting distracted that the guy's name was Tarkanian, all I could keep thinking of was the late legendary UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian.

What was the conflict?  He deserted his squad and took pictures with some locals?  Why was he getting the Medal of Honor?  And he was still getting the Medal of Honor even though his actions in not being open and honest with the JAG corps seemed to indirectly result in the deaths of several Marines include peach farmer Yale Marine?

Whatever it was all about, I'm glad there was more character development for Harper Li.

When the Lieutenant's unit rotated back home he didn't go. Thus  the desertion charge. But since I guess the press already knew he was to receive the Medal of Honor politically it was not going to stop and the LT knew it. When the Marine Corps tried to discipline him, he refused the lesser punishment and forced a courts martial.

[HurricaneVal]

He didn't just get his photo taken with locals after he deserted.  He continued to participate in fighting, through some hyperextended sense of honor, and ended up on the wrong side of a fight which during which war crimes were committed.  That was the big deal evidence that the photos in the peach box showed.

Tarkanian was an interesting character.  You wanted to like him, because he was supposed to be a heroic, honorable man.  Even his political stance appeared to be honorable.  Then you looked closer and found he was really an arrogant son-of-a-bitch who was really only all in it for him and his glory, and all about winning the Medal of Honor and not really about being honorable.  And it was all going to just be given to him anyways, even after the truth came out. 

I'm done with Abe and his widow babe.  At this point I just think she's using him.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

7 hours ago, TV Anonymous said:

As for the case, I do not really get it. Why did they decide to drop the charges? And that meant that the Lieutenant got away scot-free?

As for Col Turnbull and her son, can that be inferred that her son lost his leg due to her pigheadedness to have him rescued?

Lastly, even when addressing the office officially, Maj Ferry kept on referring WO1 Ahmadi by his first name only? SMH.

That the MOH citation was made so quickly, without a full vetting, is among the more absurd plot points I have ever seen.  Dude fails to rotate home and nobody knows where he went (but never declared MIA) - and the Commandant is not told and/or does not care?!   

I took no such inference.  The bad guys were moving him all over creation.  It makes perfect sense to me that, at some point, his level of care changed significantly.

One of these days, I'd love to meet Turnbull's superior.  She gets to do whatever the freak she feels like doing. 

The JAG corps is a command with heart, doncha know.  

5 hours ago, blackwing said:

I didn't really fully understand what the deal was with the entire plot... 

What was the conflict?  He deserted his squad and took pictures with some locals?  Why was he getting the Medal of Honor?  And he was still getting the Medal of Honor even though his actions in not being open and honest with the JAG corps seemed to indirectly result in the deaths of several Marines include peach farmer Yale Marine?

Whatever it was all about, I'm glad there was more character development for Harper Li.

He was getting the MOH for genuinely heroic actions before his unit rotated home.  Then, he refused orders and remained.  It's nuts, I agree, that he was nominated anyway.

Harper losing her mind was no small thing.  This was an enormous failure of duty.  Abe making a bad command decision and allowing her to retain her seat?  No shock there.

The firefight was more TV fantasy.  The bad guys just stopped advancing when their fire was no longer being returned as the Marines fell back behind the structure?  Uh huh.  They had exactly one RPG. too.  Li gets great credit for instantly granting the Sergeant actual command.  But, she was the only one who did a look see around the far side of the structure?    Nobody decided it might be a good idea to secure that flank, if nothing else?

Having said this, her process of making a kill was pretty darn compelling.  It seemed real. to me.  I also note how extra attention for her was necessary.  She was not ready.  Her training all went away.  I hated that the others were distracted and needing to coach her in those moments.  

Finally, how is it that yet again, Abe did not heed the forceful warnings of the CO about being away from the base at night?  How did they not make it back on time?!!!  Tell me again how Abe does not share blame for that ambush. 

[theschnauzers]

The episode this week was actually better written than earlier episodes have been. The writers room still needs a military advisor on the script, but the writing actually has improved. But why two episodes in a row with JAGs headed into active combat zones?

[Raja]

6 hours ago, theschnauzers said:

The episode this week was actually better written than earlier episodes have been. The writers room still needs a military advisor on the script, but the writing actually has improved. But why two episodes in a row with JAGs headed into active combat zones?

If it bleeds it leads. Along with all Marines are riflemen first.

[TV Anonymous]

I understand that adage, but it seems like a very inefficient way to keep ferrying JAGC officers from CONUS downrange. And JAGC doing the investigation seems out of place. Why bother with MP and NCIS if they have Abe and Harper, right?

So they revealed that Capt Dyer's unit was part of Marine Raider Regiment. So they are not regular Marine grunts, they are special operator. Which means the firefight scene more implausible. There they were, in a firefight. The company CO was KIA and the first thing the first shirt did was to ask a JAGC officer for order? He knew exactly that the most combat training 1stLt Li had was SOI and he had a platoon of well-trained Raiders. The sensible thing to do is for him to take charge and protect the Lieutenant.

This is the second episode that they deal with a MARSOC unit. Genuine question, I thought SOCOM was somewhat independent to the services? I thought SOCOM had its own counsel?

[Raja]

So far The Code is following the same template of JAG. It didn't matter if NCIS or some other agency was on a case, if it was politically a big enough deal then the JAG sent Harm and Mac on a JAGMAN investigation as he was ultimately a stick for the Secretary of the Navy.

At least they cleaned up the thought of the admiral assigning prosecution and defense counsels on his whim of the moment with the dedicated JAG defenders on The Code.

[TV Anonymous]

New episodes of The Code are pulled off schedule and replaced by reruns of Magnum P.I.

*Taps*

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Appropriate that the plug was pulled immediately after an ep where we had an absurd medal ceremony.  "V" for vacuous?

The Lt. still had zero direct evidence to off the Captain.  Evidence, shmevidence, eh?  

So what story gets told to the victim's family?  Do they lose all benefits since their dad/husband was an unproven child molester?  Dishonorable discharge?  Purple Heart?  Burial with honors?   

Oh well.  The show tried way too hard to be "relevant" and would not allow the important themes to marinate on their own, except for the son whose leg was amputated.  Can't exactly close out that one in three weeks, though.  

[Raja]

The General kept on swaying into court announcing herself up to the actual court martial with a tent full of marines was another cringe worthy event. She's a General she has a bodyguard.

[TV Anonymous]

12 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

The Lt. still had zero direct evidence to off the Captain.  Evidence, shmevidence, eh?  

So what story gets told to the victim's family?  Do they lose all benefits since their dad/husband was an unproven child molester?  Dishonorable discharge?  Purple Heart?  Burial with honors?   

The victim was a Captain in the Afghan National Army. So who cares about what happens to his family and his legacy, right? 

Sarcastic, of course.

3 hours ago, Raja said:

The General kept on swaying into court announcing herself up to the actual court martial with a tent full of marines was another cringe worthy event. She's a General she has a bodyguard.

The judge was a Lieutenant Colonel, not a General Officer. But your point stands. Why conduct a court martial in an operational zone like that? Do the members of the panel not have anything to do while downrange?

[theschnauzers]

Episodes return July 1st.

[rhys]

Wellllll, that seemed convoluted. The recruiter who was such a great recruiter was a terrible human and a horrible racist right? He couldn't have raped the HS girl cuz she was mixed race plus he may have been off somewhere else protesting how difficult it is to be a white male in America or something. Gah! Not sure I followed.

Meanwhile, Harper looks gorgeous, other woman lawyer flies to see her brother & ??

I figured out why this show got cancelled. 

[theschnauzers]

Rhys, we doing know if the show’s been cancelled. CBS hasn’t stated anything. And given it had been getting ratings numbers near other spring and summer dramas. It might be renewed as a late spring/summer show, like Blood and Treasure which got a second season order this past week.

[mythoughtis]

Well that’s odd. My DVR  decided  not to record this episode. 

[theschnauzers]

2 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

Well that’s odd. My DVR  decided  not to record this episode. 

The episodes can be found at CBS.com or on CBS All Access.

[Marci]

I am so tired of all these major network shows forcing this white racism on us. Every time a show does it, I remove it from my DVR schedule.  

There’s hardly anything left. All I have coming up is Master Chef.

[TV Anonymous]

I am a bit confused about the Gitmo episode. The court martial is called by the Convening Authority, is it not? The prosecutors are not like DAs that they can prosecute their cases independently. CMIIW. If that is the case, certainly the CO of NS Guantanamo Bay could stop the proceeding as he is the Convening Authority on that base, rather than taking the convoluted way around.

[blackwing]

I didn't fully follow the CIA plot.  There's two CIA officers embedded as Marines who released the terrorist from Guantanamo for some undisclosed reason.  One of them is caught and brought up for court martial.  The other is in the wind.  Then a few days later, the guy who was in the wind re-captures the terrorist.  Huh?  Why?

I was getting so tired of the Harper/Bard drama.  He's such a lump and a boring person.  Seemed like he had zero personality and not a good match at all for her.  I get that she changed after she was caught in the combat situation.  So it's not really his fault, but still.  

[Aliconehead]

48 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I didn't fully follow the CIA plot.  There's two CIA officers embedded as Marines who released the terrorist from Guantanamo for some undisclosed reason.  One of them is caught and brought up for court martial.  The other is in the wind.  Then a few days later, the guy who was in the wind re-captures the terrorist.  Huh?  Why?

The terrorist was used as bait to capture the other terrorists. They said they were able to capture 2 or 3 others.  When he “escaped” the others reached out to him.  The other CIA went with and “captured” them all.  I am not sure if the original terrorist was in on it or not.  

[TV Anonymous]

A service member couple. Wife was an E2 (PFC), husband was an E3 (LCpl). And they could afford a house and an apartment around DC area? How much does junior enlisted make, with housing and all?

[Raja]

22 minutes ago, TV Anonymous said:

A service member couple. Wife was an E2 (PFC), husband was an E3 (LCpl). And they could afford a house and an apartment around DC area? How much does junior enlisted make, with housing and all?

Roughly as a couple around $40K/year pay and another $20K BAH for the Marine Base Quantico area

[TV Anonymous]

2 minutes ago, Raja said:

Roughly as a couple around $40K/year pay and another $20K BAH for the Marine Base Quantico area

So with 60k$ total, a house and an apartment?

On a side note, are colored nail polish allowed in the Marines?

[blackwing]

I'm curious, how are the ratings for this show?  Is it a foregone conclusion that there will not be a second season?  I like the cast and I hope it gets another chance.

They are obviously setting Dobbins up for a "will she leave the Marines to run for office" cliffhanger.  But honestly, that pretty much means the actress is off the show, so it's not much of a cliffhanger.  And that's assuming the show comes back for a second season.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

One thing the show has done well is introduce us to some quirks in the lives of Marines.  The marriage scam is a good example.

Abe has gone to ultra lengths to do the "honorable" thing.  He made his boss' professional life miserable, at times.  But noooooow, let's accept something about the Corps that is not honorable so I can get with the widow.  

No way would that Colonel get an early star.  I've written for weeks as to how she bucked the Pentagon and Executive poobahs.  Happy, Abe?  She's lucky she hasn't been blackballed.  

Thanks for the lecture, show, about the wisdom as to the projection of force and its cost.  Never mind it has not a thing in the world to do with the UCMJ.

And now we might could get an arc where a JAG officer who perfectly well knows she is not qualified/able to hold the office in W-S running for said office.  What rule of law?!

Does Danny and the Juniors music play on the hop(s)?  Let's go to the hop!

Edited July 21, 2019 by Lonesome Rhodes

[theschnauzers]

CBS has done crazy things with the show’s schedule, even though on average it has done about as well in the ratings as other summer dramas. (If Blood and Treasure which had only minimally better ratings got renewed, then.....) At least, the writing improved over earlier episodes and the cast has managed. As to story arcs, it seems as if the early episodes writing sort of locked those in, and if there’s a second season, hopefully the writers’ room can be upgraded with a couple of JAG/Marine consultants, which was clearly lacking early in the season. 

[TV Anonymous]

On 7/21/2019 at 1:36 AM, Lonesome Rhodes said:

No way would that Colonel get an early star.  I've written for weeks as to how she bucked the Pentagon and Executive poobahs. 

But why Col Tunbull needs that promotion? Even as an O-6 she manages to pull strings an O-8 could not do...

[theschnauzers]

Regrettably cancelled.

[formerlyfreedom]

The details: ‘The Code’ Canceled By CBS After One Season

[Was-MArsenault]

Someone said on another forum that it was a knockoff of JAG.

[blackwing]

I'm disappointed it was cancelled.  I really liked the cast and I thought they really clicked together.  I criticised this show initially for having the young pretty boy white boy as the lead and surrounding him with minority sidekicks, but the other characters received just as much development as he did.

Of the six main characters, this show included a black man, an Asian woman, an older woman, and a Middle eastern man.  Pretty good diverse cast.

Luke Mitchell never seems to have good luck with TV shows.  He was on the sci-fi show "The Tomorrow People" which was cancelled after one season.  He lands a role on "Agents of SHIELD" playing a cool character with electrical powers, and then the show somehow decided that he was going to be the one to sacrifice himself.  He lands on "Blindspot" playing the brother of the main character but turns out to be a villain that they kill off.

I'm hoping that Ato Essandoah and Philippa Soo land on another TV show soon.

[Aliconehead]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I'm hoping that Ato Essandoah and Philippa Soo land on another TV show soon.

Me too.  I am still holding out hope that Ato will show up in the last season of Elementary.  I don;t want him back on Chicago Med, because honestly he deserves better.

[Misslindsey]

5 hours ago, blackwing said:

I'm hoping that Ato Essandoah and Philippa Soo land on another TV show soon.

Me as well. I love Philippa since I saw her in Hamilton a few times years ago, so I hope she gets another gig soon.

[rhys]

I wouldn't mind seeing Ato back on Chicago Med as Dr Latham. I missed that character. Plus what's his face with the somewhat alliterative name left so there is an opening.

[TV Anonymous]

On 7/24/2019 at 9:58 AM, blackwing said:

Of the six main characters, this show included a black man, an Asian woman, an older woman, and a Middle eastern man.  Pretty good diverse cast.

Well, the 'older woman' is Dana Delany. With her having been on the screen since the 70s, I would not call her a diversity cast.

Edited July 25, 2019 by TV Anonymous

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I just saw the finale.

Not one mention of whether Abe and the widow still wanted to drop the suit.  Seems to me that after going through that ordeal, Captain Principle would be more determined and feel ever more duty-bound to reveal the truths of the case.  Double D died upholding Abe's sense of order legalities.  His buddy died and his circumstances merited an airing, as well.  But, the clear inference I took was that Abe would choose to drop it.  If the widow would make that decision, how could he stay with her?  Captain Principle!

I would have voted to convict the Captain on some related charge, and likely the Mutiny charge.  He endangered the lives of his Marines who, in point of fact died, because he wanted to pressure his CO.  He could have simply ordered his men to stand down and not participate in the coming destruction of the village, but to continue to take out the bad guys to the extent possible from their position..  They did not have to die.

That General sure declined quickly.  Less than 24 hours from his encounter in the hospital, he became incapacitated.

I missed the significance of the visit to the gravesite.  Colonel rarely went there and told her son she didn't know why it was so important they first stop there on his way home, which he had not seen for MONTHS.  It is beyond question that his Great Grandfather Prescott's story would have been related to him over and over as he was growing up.  Yet, the lad acted like he was clueless as to any significant details/related importance.  Ridiculous.

Lt. Li a Devil Dog?!  Only if she got the recipe from Drake's.  She served meritoriously and fought to her abilities when things got hot.  She was also a drag on the unit who were constantly interrupted as they attempted to instruct her how to shoot her weapon and other elements of combat.  She is serving honorably and deserves respect.  An incredibly tough warrior?  Nah. 

It was a very nice, and appropriate, touch to end the season with Rami's Oath of Citizenship.  

The show had real potential.  Yet, they were way too ambitious in the themes they explored.  Less would have been more.  Now, there is none.

[mythoughtis]

Why does the Colonel keep interfering in her sons’  life? He is an adult who lost his leg in the service. Hasn’t he ‘given’ enough?   He wasn’t deserting, just leaving the service honorably.

I am pretty sure the Marines already knew how Double D died since his beheading was on the internet. The lawyers should have had access to that information without the surprise testimony at trial. 

Edited August 5, 2019 by mythoughtis

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Aaron Tveit singing In His Eyes from Jekyll and Hyde at Miscast 21: